Russia's arrest of protesters jeopardises rule of law, says France

Navalny supporters protest his arrest, in Moscow

PARIS (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday the arrest of thousands of people in Russia during rallies to support Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jeopardising the rule of law and called for sanctions on Russia to be implemented.

Russian police made more than 3,000 arrests on Saturday during demonstrations that attracted tens of thousands of people.

"The success of the demonstrations across Russia's territory is impressive," Le Drian said on France Inter radio on Sunday, saying he was worried about the country's authoritarian drift.

(Reporting by Caroline Pailliez; Writing by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Edmund Blair)